IF I have the space and money I prefer to purchase my meat in bulk at the butcher shop. This entails having $100- $300 to spend and a mostly empty freezer. Previous trips I have paid $1.59 a pound but as pork is going up this time I was very happy to only pay $1.75 a pound. And you don’t want to do this on a very hot day or you need several coolers, the meat is frozen but smaller packs of bacon might thaw.
At the butcher shop they will show you the sheets for the meat they have available. This shows how the meat is broken up, the hanging weights, what is smoked and the final cost.
Mine went like this the last time:
Hanging Weight #147
Price/lb 1.75
Smoking $26.25
Total $283.50
Chops 4 in a package
Smoked Ham and Steaks
Spare Ribs
Fresh Picnic Ham
Steaks 2 in a package
Seems simple enough, and it looks like this all laid out… 
This time my pig was cut into a 5lb pack of spare ribs, 10 1-1 1/2 lb packs of bacon, 8 huge ham steaks, 2 5 lb + fresh picnic hams, 5 packs of pork steak 2 1/2lb +, 26 1lb packs of sausage, 2 smoked hams around 4 1/2 lb each, and 7 packs of pork chops around 3 1/2 lbs each.
Usually I try to get my pig around 90-100 lbs. This one is the largest I have ever had and getting it into the freezer was a bit challenging!
stretchingittotravel 
We also buy our meat in bulk – it’s a great savings, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. I found you on the Homestead Blog Hop. You should link up to Mostly Homemade Mondays – I think you would fit right in!
http://www.thesustainablecouple.com/2014/05/mostly-homemade-mondays-week-81.html
Thanks! I will check it out!
Oh wow! I’m anxious to see a table full of meat! We have our name in for 1/4 beef, can’t wait!
I’m coming over from A Proverbs 31 Wife!
I would LOVE to do a 1/4 of beef, I just need to save up the $$$. Enjoy!!!!
Holy cannoli that’s a lot of meat! But, what a great price! We are planning to do something like this soon. Can’t wait!
We do the same thing–but we raise our own pigs too, last time they came back from the butcher we used every single inch of freezer space! Hope to make it last a long time, the price of pork seems to just keep going up!
I speak for everyone when I say “Holy cow !”. That is quite the amount of pork. I will have to try buying the animal in its entirety as well when I get a big enough freezer !
I used to do this when I had children at home – my sister and I would split large orders. It was a great way to shop and I liked being able to plan menus knowing that I had what I needed – and where it came from!
oh my, that’s a lot of meat – thanks for sharing this post at the #WWDParty.
There is nothing more awesome in getting a whole sheep from the brother in law. We usually only do this once a year though. It never last that long! We buy beef in bulk straight from the abattoir in cryovac packs, so.much.cheaper than the supermarkets!! Love a good pork chop!
We buy our beef from the fair – the 4H kids always auction off their steer after it’s over. We usually get 1/2 a cow, take it to the butcher, and it they make hamburger, steaks, etc for us. It lasts almost a year – and my boys eat a lot of meat! We end up paying about $1.59/lb for everything, which is so much less than the grocery store – and we know where the meat came from!
That’s a great price for pork. I need to remember our local one this next time around. Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from A Little R&R link up.
Linked up at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
wow that is a lot of meat i have to say!
thank you for linking with the #pinitparty
We buy a quarter of a cow every year, and last year also bought a lamb at the fair. Then our deep freeze is supplemented with venison. Very tasty, well-raised meat for great prices, and supporting local 4-H kids too. Thanks for sharing at #smallvictoriessunday 🙂
I never thought of lamb. Good idea!
Thanks for sharing on Mostly Homemade Mondays! Be sure to stop over tomorrow and link up a few more posts 🙂
Kelli @ The Sustainable Couple
Thanks!
We don’t buy from a butcher, never thought about it. That’s a lot of meat and good price too.
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY…
Blessings,
Cindy
Thanks!
Wow! This is great. We’ve only bulk ordered once like this, but it was nice to have a freezer full of good meats.
Thanks for stopping by.
My hubby has a friend at work that raises beef. We get a whole cow and give 1/4 to 3 of our kids for Christmas and we keep the 4th. He also gets a half of a pig and they are both simply delicious! Very lean and tasty. I just buy chicken and fish to throw in now and then. Love having it right in my own freezer. Tastes better and such a better price too! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
What a great Christmas gift!
That is a lot of meat! thanks for submitting it to the HomeAcre Homesteading blog hop. Feel free to stop by and submit another post this week (www.pintsizefarm.com).
Thanks!
Wonderful – I’ll have to see what’s offered in this area! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Thanks for stopping by and good luck shopping!
Great Post!!!
Thanks for stopping by!